94.3% cure rate among participants who started hepatitis C treatment

The C-FFREE Steering Committee and Study Update Meeting were convened on October 5, 2020, at Siam Novotel in Bangkok. Over 50 representatives from key stakeholders attended this meeting, including Thai DDC/MOPH, NHSO, HITAP, the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund (Thailand), Global Fund (Geneva), FHI360, PHPT, HIV-NAT, IHRI, BIOPHICS, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration health centers and Office of Drug Use, Raks Thai, Ozone, and Thai Drug Users Network.

Dr. Tanyaporn Wansom presented key findings from the interim analysis of C-Free. Additionally, participants engaged in policy and advocacy discussions focused on expanding community models of care and access to HIV and viral hepatitis testing and treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).

The key study findings to date underscore a high demand for community services and show that the use of Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir is safe and effective in people living with HIV, actively using drugs and with cirrhosis. These include:

1. 86.5% of participants who were eligible for HCV treatment have started treatment in the C-Free Study at community-based centers. Many of those who have not started are waiting to switch their HIV therapy to a regimen that can be taken concomitantly with Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir.

2. Excellent per-protocol HCV cure (SVR) rate of 94.1%, and intention-to-treat cure rate of 86%. The vast majority of participants who start HCV therapy as part of C-Free are cured from hepatitis C infection.

3. High adherence to the study drug has been confirmed for those who started HCV treatment at community drop-in centers. No differences were seen at weeks 4, 8, or 12. Overall adherence was 97% by pill count.  

4. No serious adverse events were considered probably or definitely related to Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir.

As a result of the success of the study, Dreamlopments, and all partners are working hard to further expand this model of care in new locations in Thailand.